Does Himachal Pradhesh count as part of the Indus region?

[Cobra Arbok]

Well I can't give you a definitive answer on that as I don't know any people from HP and not very informed about them but I certainly suspect they are closer to Pakistani's then say Tamils, Odishans, Bengalis, Assamese, Karnatkans and all other aboriginals of Ganga or Dravid India.

To be honest I never understood why people use the word aboriginal in a demeaning way. It simply means original inhabitants. As I have shown in my history of North India thread, the people of the Gangetic plains have lived there for over 3000 years, without significant changes in demography, religion, or culture, which is pretty impressive. Of course, I know you usually mean well.

There doesn't seem to be any, they just share a common name by chance.

Pahari is a relatively vague term that simply refers to Indo-Aryan natives of the Himalayas, so it can be used to refer to Punjabis, Kashmiris, Dogras, Himachalis, Uttarakhandis, and some Nepalis. So there may be truth to what you are saying there. However, I do think there must be some similarities due to geographical proximity. OF course, this is limited to the Himalayan regions of Punjab. Also, I have never ben to Pakistan, so I cannot compare for myself.

 

[Hamza913]

Pahari is a relatively vague term that simply refers to Indo-Aryan natives of the Himalayas, so it can be used to refer to Punjabis, Kashmiris, Dogras, Himachalis, Uttarakhandis, and some Nepalis. So there may be truth to what you are saying there. However, I do think there must be some similarities due to geographical proximity. OF course, this is limited to the Himalayan regions of Punjab. Also, I have never ben to Pakistan, so I cannot compare for myself.

There would obviously be similarities, but nothing significant enough to lump them into the same ethnic group.

 

[Cobra Arbok]

There would obviously be similarities, but nothing significant enough to lump them into the same ethnic group.

I never said that, I simply said there are some similarities.

BtW do you know if people of AJK and parts of Punjab wear caps similar to Himachalis, as seen in some of the pictures I have posted?

 

[Harvey Pandit]

Yes Himachal is an integral part of the Indus Valley region as it is the origin of many the Indus tributaries Chenab, Ravi, and Baes. However, it is very mountaneous and has harsh terrain, and there are no IVC sites there as of my knowledge. The IVC region in India encompasses the states of Gujarat, western Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal.(JaK as well, but that is disputed. This is the most accepted map. Unfortunately, I am nowhere near as skilled at creating diagrams as IP.

As to your question about people, well I have been to HP several times so I can answer that question. HP was a part of Punjab, but has always been culturally distinct, do to its geography and majority Hindu faith. The majority of Himachali people are ethnic Paharis, an Indo-Aryan group native to the Himalayas. Paharis live in Nepal, Himalayan regions of India(Himachal, JaK, and Uttarakhand), as well as AJK in Pakistan. So most Himachalis are similar to people from AJK. Himachal also has a significant Dogra population, and Dogras have Rajput ancestry, so there is also similarity with Pakistani Rajputs.
Keep in mind Himachal borders Tibet, so there is a strong Tibetan influence in Eastern HP. There are several languages in this region similar to TIbetan, such as Spiti and Kinnauri. Of Course, there are a lot of Tibetans as well since Himachal is the home of the Dalai Lama.
Other dialects of Pahari spoken in Himachal are Kangri and Mendeali. Some of these dialects have their own script, such as Kangri, which was historically written in Takri.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangri_dialect
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pahari_people
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinnauri_language
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Pahari
So yes, Himachalis do share similarities with many Paksitani populations. Of course, there are also plenty of people they have nothing to do with , such as Sindhis and Balochis.
Here are some examples of Himachali people.

I hope I was helpful

Looks like regular South Asians to me.

 

[Hamza913]

BtW do you know if people of AJK and parts of Punjab wear caps similar to Himachalis, as seen in some of the pictures I have posted?

Muslim guys in general tend to wear hats like the one that guy in one of your pictures was wearing.

 

[Cobra Arbok]

Looks like regular South Asians to me.

There is no such thing as "regular" south Asians, as SA is one of the most ethnically diverse regions in the world. I would say the best description of "regular South Asian" is somewhere between Sub-Sahran African and Mediterranean. Most South Asians are some shade of brown. But that is a vague description that varies.

Muslim guys in general tend to wear hats like the one that guy in one of your pictures was wearing.

I have heard people in Himachal and other Himalayan regions of SA wear a special type of cap that keeps their heads warm in the harsh winters.
Maybe next time I am there I will buy one. Despite what many believe, it does get pretty cold in Northwestern Florida where I go to college. Though nowhere as cold as the Himalayas

Does anyone know any company that sells decent Himachali caps and ships to the United States?
@HariPrasad @Suriya @Srinivas @Novice09 @Cherokee @Rollno21 @Tom M

 

[Shamsher1990]

Thank you for the replies, just curious about these people and their relation to modern Pakistanis

From what I heard on this forum, none of the Pakistani have anything in common with any Indian. Isn't it @Iqbal Ali ?

On a separate note : Himachali are a somewhat mixed people. People from places like Trilokpur/Nahan often have marriages in Punjab and vice versa. Some of them have similarities to people from Jammu. Also at times influence of Laddki people can also be seen. On religious front, Himanchal is strictly Hindu dominated state. Many shrines to hindu gods and goddess are located there.

This is family of Chief minister of HP.

Does anyone know any company that sells decent Himachali caps and ships to the United States?

Kullu shawls can be readily found in Canada. Often most of the Canadian Punjabi stores selling Indian clothing stock them. The reason is HP shares border with Punjab and merchants often have links to suppliers in both the states. For cap you may have to ask the guy to get it for you.

 

[MultaniGuy]

From what I heard on this forum, none of the Pakistani have anything in common with any Indian. Isn't it @Iqbal Ali ?

On a separate note : Himachali are a somewhat mixed people. People from places like Trilokpur/Nahan often have marriages in Punjab and vice versa. Some of them have similarities to people from Jammu. Also at times influence of Laddki people can also be seen. On religious front, Himanchal is strictly Hindu dominated state. Many shrines to hindu gods and goddess are located there.

This is family of Chief minister of HP.

Kullu shawls can be readily found in Canada. Often most of the Canadian Punjabi stores selling Indian clothing stock them. The reason is HP shares border with Punjab and merchants often have links to suppliers in both the states. For cap you may have to ask the guy to get it for you.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but we Pakistanis have nothing in common with you Indians. Lol.

 

[Kamikaze Pilot]

WHATEVER BE THE CASE HIMACHALIS ARE FIERCELY PRO-INDIA AND PATRIOTIC. THEY CONTRIBUTE GREATLY TO THE INDIAN ARMY. HIMACHAL PRADESH IS ONE OF THE MOST PEACEFUL REGIONS IN SOUTH ASIA.

 

[TurnThyCheek]

WHATEVER BE THE CASE HIMACHALIS ARE FIERCELY PRO-INDIA AND PATRIOTIC. THEY CONTRIBUTE GREATLY TO THE INDIAN ARMY. HIMACHAL PRADESH IS ONE OF THE MOST PEACEFUL REGIONS IN SOUTH ASIA.

We're not arguing with you mate...stop being so insecure.

 

[Cobra Arbok]

We're not arguing with you mate...stop being so insecure.

I think hes kind of funny. He and Iqbal Ali are defonitely this forum's comedians.

 

[MultaniGuy]

I think hes kind of funny. He and Iqbal Ali are defonitely this forum's comedians.

Look who is talking. Your forum posts are a joke. By the way Pakistanis do not give a damn for Indians. In fact Pakistanis look down upon Indians.

 

[Shamsher1990]

Sorry to burst your bubble, but we Pakistanis have nothing in common with you Indians. Lol.

@TurnThyCheek See that? LOL!

 

[MultaniGuy]

@TurnThyCheek See that? LOL!

You can lol @ yourself. I am entitled to my opinion.

Now shoo.

We Pakistanis have nothing in common with Indians. That's why partition happened.

 

[Shamsher1990]

You can lol @ yourself. I am entitled to my opinion.

Now shoo.

We Pakistanis have nothing in common with Indians. That's why partition happened.

Oh! I thought Jinnah wanted Pakistan for Muslims of British Indian Empire!
Didn't know that you were privy to Jinnah's intention more than Jinnah himself!